Comfortable AND Fashionable Adapted Jeans

Back-to-school means new clothes. Jeans are the fashion choice for most kids. But for kids in wheelchairs or with feeding tubes, the waistbands on many jeans can be uncomfortable. How do we help our kids go back to school in style AND comfort?

A couple years ago, Junior’s mom posted this great tutorial on adapting jeans on her blog, Adaptions4Kidz. She has so many fantastic ideas there! If you haven’t bookmarked her site, I highly recommend that.

But there are decorative features on jeans that my daughter wanted preserved, so we came up with a slight variation to adapting jeans that made her happier and feeling very stylish. This variation also works well with junior girls’ tops that are shorter in length than boys’ t-shirts. Let’s celebrate back to school with some comfortable and fashion-forward (sh-h-h-h...pull-on) jeans!

Three pairs of adapted jeans

 You’ll need:

·        1 pair jeans

·        1 pair worn pull-on stretch pants or yoga pants (okay if they show wear in the knees or crotch, as these will be discarded. We recycled last year’s stretch pants)

·        Thread, seam ripper, sewing machine, serger (optional but nice)

1) Prepare the jeans.

·        Pick out the lower end of any belt loops using a seam ripper, being careful not to nick holes in the fabric. Cut off the remainder of the belt loop/s and discard.

 

·        Cut out the zipper, snipping away the zipper tape. Be sure to remove all teeth, the zipper stops at both ends, and the pull. This decreases bulk and increases comfort.



·        Stay-stitch (stitch straight through all layers to hold together) the front half of the jeans about ¼” below the waistband stitching to secure the fly and pockets.

Stay-stitch 1/4" below waistband seam

 

·        Cut off the waistband where it attaches to the pants. Cut above your stay-stitching.

2) Sew jeans openings closed.

·        (Optional, to simplify dressing) Pin pockets closed and stitch just next to the decorative topstitching on the pocket, through all layers. Your stitching will be hidden in the shadows of the commercial topstitching, especially if you use thread that matches the color of the denim. Stitching the pockets closed keeps them smooth and flat when dressing.

Stitch just beside the decorative stitching. Here, the
presser foot is removed so you can see the needle position.

·        Fuse pocket bag to inside of front leg. Use a permanent fusible adhesive web, such as Heat N Bond, following the manufacturer’s directions. This keeps the pocket bag from riding up inside the pants.

Add the fusible webbing between the pocket bag
and front leg. Fuse with an iron according to
manufacturer's direction.

·        Pin fly closed and stitch. Follow beside the decorative stitching on both the right and left sides of the fly to secure it completely flat.

3) Attach knit waistband.

·        From discarded pull-on pants, cut down 2” to 2 ½” from top of waistband. This will add about 1” in height from the original jean's waistband, helping prevent exposure of undergarments. Enough said. If your original jeans are cut very low, you might choose an even deeper portion of the stretch fabric. Smaller children may require smaller depths.

For a teen, 2-2.5" of knit waistband and fabric
will probably be appropriate. Feel free to vary the width
for your child's needs.

·        Right sides together, match knit waistband to jeans at back, front, and sides. Pin as needed and sew with a 3/8” seam. Be careful not to sew over any decorative rivets in the jeans so you don’t break a needle.

·        (Optional) If you own a serger, overcast the seam for strength and comfort. Otherwise, overcast with a triple zigzag stitch on your sewing machine.

My daughter's service-dog-in-training, Mercer, holds down
the waistband so you can see the overcasting inside.

 

There you have it. In 15-20 minutes, you have converted a pair of fashionable but restrictive jeans into fashionable and comfortable ones. All the decorative pockets and stitching are preserved, with the exception of the waistband. You’ve put those outgrown stretch pants to good use for another year as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Speed up bathroom time with the "grocery.bag.trick"

Ah, toileting. It's a mixed blessing for those families whose kids are semi-continent and wearing pull-on style undergarments. 

There is the obvious good, which is very, VERY good! It's definitely worth the hassle. Success promotes independence and self-confidence. And it's beyond wonderful to kids and caregivers not to have to deal with, er, unpleasant clean-ups. Enough said.

Then there is the incovenience during those times we need to change out wet pull-on, especially if  foot orthotics are part of the mix. It can become a rather involved to remove the shoes and orthotics in order to take pants off so clean pull-ons can go on. Because then everything after the pull-ons must be replaced in a very lengthy ordeal: pants, orthotics, shoes. For anyone who does this multiple times a day, you know how much time it adds to toileting.


Aha! "grocery.bag.trick!" to the rescue! By sliding the child's foot (orthotics, shoes, and all) into a plastic grocery bag, you now have a delightfully slippery package that easily slides through the pant leg, provided the the hem is wide enough or the fabric has enough stretch.

Sock, AFO, and shoe are all wrapped inside this plastic bag.
Nothing has been removed from the foot.

You can do this one leg at a time if you like. Off comes one pant leg, on goes one leg of the pull-on, back on goes the leg of the pant. Move the bag to the second foot and repeat: pants off, pull-on on, pants on. The child does need to stay seated through this, because the bag is slippery and could cause a fall if she tries to walk with it covering her shoe. Do not allow the child to walk with a bag over the shoe!

Pants, even denim jeans or most knit leggings,
slide off and on over the slippery plastic bag.

If a single bag is confusing, try using a separate bag for each foot, removing the entire pair of pants, put the pull-on over both feet, then put on both legs of the pants. Remove both bags before standing.


This technique has saved us countless hours over the years and reduces the chance for bunching socks inside hurriedly-applied orthotics. When our daughter was small enough to fit into pull-on style underpants with Velcro side closures, life was much simpler. Why such garments are not available (at least at a cost Medicaid is willing to cover) for teenagers or adults, I do not know. But it allows us to exercise our creativity...



And so, the grocery.bag.trick was born. Use it in good health!

DIY Switch-Adapted Spinner

About 350 years ago when I was in college, I worked in a special ed classroom that had an AbleNet “All-Turn-It” spinner . This clever sturdy device stole my heart on the spot. The teacher incorporated that switch-adapted spinner into activities and routines in her room throughout the day; it was amazing to see how many uses she had for this simple but powerful random spinner.

In the words of Junie B. Jones, “I love[d] that fluffy thing!”

Fast forward 350 years to last week, when I was contemplating ways to help my own daughter choose random cards for a language game. An All-Turn-It would have been an ideal solution, but I don’t have $120 sitting around home to spend on one.

Did we have anything around the house I could use?

Aha! We certainly did! A paint spinner!  

A switch-adapted spinner made from a paint spinner.

You might have one of these inexpensive toys at your house too...or be able to find one without much trouble at your local craft store or online. My guess is that charity resale shops like Goodwill or Value Village carry them regularly as well.

Keep in mind that the average spinner/painter will be able to keep BOTH the spinner and painting functions, so it becomes a multi-purpose tool...

Directions for adapting the paint spinner for switch access can be found here.

Here are the directions for adapting the paint spinner into a random generator for games and dozens, if not hundreds, of other uses around home and school.

You will need:

Switch-adapted paint spinner (directions for adapting found here)

Switch for access

Flexible soda straw—standard diameter or other as needed to fit snuggly over the center pin of the paint spinner

Paper clip

Cardboard support for overlays (I used two layers of poster paper; any flat cardboard should work)

Template for overlay (PowerPoint, available here in 4-choice, 8-choice, and 12-choice) 

1) Cut cardboard in a 9.25” circle. Our paint spinner has a removable splash guard I was able to trace around for the circle. Cut a ½” hole in the center using a craft knife. Smooth the edges of the hole using a round file. Set aside.

2) Lift paper holder off the center spindle. Keep it in the box for times you want to use the spinner for painting.

3) Unfold all but the small loop of a paper clip, insert down into straw. Bend to 90* angle.

4) Cut the long end of the straw to a point. 3 – 4 inches is a good length.

4) Slide the short end of the straw through the hole in the cardboard and onto the center spindle of the spinner.

5) A good spin with the switch should center the cardboard and overlay for you.

This light-weight pointer does not continue to spin when the switch is released. While this may make it feel like the selections are not random, we checked it out with a little data collecting and found that the selections do even out in time.

Now you are ready to create the overlays for games and other activities. Print out templates with 4, 8, or 12 spaces onto standard 8.5 x 11” paper. Cut out the halves, cut out the center hole, and tape or glue the halves together.

Add items to be randomly selected in the outer ring.

The inner ring of the overlays can hold a second set of random selections. Two spins gives a random pair, such as two dice, two numbers to add or multiply, or a noun and a verb to be used to create a silly sentence.

If you laminate the overlays, you can write on them and wipe them clean to use another time.

For ideas on how to use your new spinner, check out GlendaAnderson’s blog or these ideas from SET-BC.

Use your imagination to find ways to use the spinner with other games and activities. Please share your ideas with us!

Hands-free Card Holder

Last month’s CD-disk card holder tutorial was so wildly popular that I figured folks might find today’s hands-free card holder tutorial to be useful as well.

After all, some kids lack the motor skills to hold cards at all, yet they would still enjoy playing card games with family and friends.

Just like the first, this card holder is quick to make and very inexpensive.

It isn’t limited just to playing cards, either. It can be used to hold picture symbol cards for non-verbal communicators to choose with eye gaze. Feel free to make it longer or shorter to meet your needs.

For playing cards or communication cards, this holder
is quick and very inexpensive to make.

All you need is a pool noodle (our dollar store carries them for a buck; each 4-foot noodle makes 6 card holders) and a serrated knife. You can use an electric carving knife (an ideal device for cutting foam and the only reason I have one) or a serrated bread knife. Since most people have access to a low-tech bread knife, that’s what we’ll use in this tutorial.

You simply need an inexpensive pool noodle
and a serrated bread knife.

Measure 15-16” from one end. Cut down through the foam using your serrated knife.

Cut straight down as though you were slicing a loaf of bread.
15 - 16" is a good length, but feel free to make yours longer or shorter.

Now slice lengthwise through the center of the piece. Try to keep the slice as straight as you can. Also try to stay in the middle so both halves are equal.

Slice down through the center to make two halves.

Set the slice, flat side down, on a table. At the peak of the arch, use your knife to cut a slot 1 /4 -1/2” deep the full length. It might help to draw a straight line with a Sharpie marker, both for you to follow with the knife and for your child to see the slot.

Drag your serrated knife along the top of each half,
allowing the blade to cut only 1/4 - 1/2" deep to
create a slot.

To use the card holder, simply slide the cards into the slot.

Rest the holder, flat side down, on a table.

There you go! Easy, inexpensive, and hands-free!

If you like what you see on Adapting Creatively, sign up to follow. You’ll be part of a growing group of parents and educators working together to meet the needs of our kids with disabilities in creative ways.

Easy--and Free--Playing Card Holder

Kids with fine motor issues (including very young typically-developing children) can find it difficult to play the card games they love. It’s just hard to hold those cards sometimes!

And if you have no hand use and someone else has to show you your cards without peeking, that can be a real tough order!

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Today we’re going to make a quick and easy playing card holder using free materials you already have on hand.

Success for kids with limited motor skills

This isn’t my original idea, and I sure wish I knew where I first heard it so I could give credit. It was years ago, and during that time I’ve made a passel of these card holders for my own children and students to use. It’s an idea worth sharing, and so here you go...

Whether it’s in your mail or in the computer aisle at the store, you are bombarded by computer CD disks offering free this or that, right? Don’t throw them away...save two!

free advertising CDs...you’ll need two of these

You’ll also need some Super Glue and a paper towel or waxed paper to work on. Super Glue is not nice to get on your pretty countertops. Trust me. Ooops.

I recently discovered LocTite’s Control Extra Time Super Glue and I love it! It work so much better than those little metal squeeze tubes. It’s easy to control where the glue will go. Plus the nozzle doesn’t clog. The glue itself works just like other Super Glues, but the packaging is amazing.

I’m loving LocTite’s Control Extra Time Super Glue!
Notice the friendly paper towel protecting my countertop?

Draw a ring of Super Glue on the edge of the inner hole on one disk. I like to glue the label sides together so the holder is less visually distracting.

Draw a circle of glue around the inner hole

Now lay the second disk on top of the first, offsetting them by about 1/8”. The offset is important!

See how the holes are offset a bit?

The ruler is marked in 1/8ths, so you can see how much the disks are offset.
What a world of difference an eigth of an inch makes!

By offsetting the disks, it’s easy to slip your playing cards between.

You can wedge the disks apart a bit if you need help slipping the cards between

Fan out your cards and start your game! You can set down your hand and pick it up without the cards getting mixed up...very handy for little fingers and those that need a little assistance.

Your cards are ready for whatever card game your kids are eager to play!

There...simple, free and just in time for summer card games on the lawn! Enjoy! 

DIY Disposable Swim Pants for the Larger Swimmer

Summer's just around the corner...is your older child ready for swimming? You have a few weeks still to dust off your sewing machine and whip up some disposable swim pants.

Can't find disposable swim pants to fit your larger child?
These will fit a 34" hip or 85 pounds.

There are times when disposable swim pants are an ideal solution for swimmers who must wear incontinence protection. They travel easily to summer camp or on vacation where laundering cloth swim pants would be impossible. Some pools require swim pants for children with continence issues.

Even bigger kids can benefit from these handy disposable pants. These adapted swim pants fit up to a size 34” hip or 85 pounds. They can be made in less than 5 minutes a pair.

Note:  I have no vested interest in the Huggies brand shown; it is simply one available in my area. Feel free to substitute with brands you have locally. The brand I’ve used can withstand a few trips through the washer and dryer to extend their use over several wearings (just make sure the Velcro sides are closed before you start the wash, as with all things Velcro). Cool!

Materials needed:

1 pair disposable swim pants, size 4-5T 

1 pair disposable pull-on pants with hook-and-loop side openings, size 4-5T or larger

Sewing machine, thread, scissors

Step One:

Cut side stretch panels off Pull-Ups where they are fused to the main absorbant pant. These will become side extensions to add up to 4” of unstretched width to each side of the swim pant for a total of 8" of added width!

Pull the two sections of each side panel apart and set aside. Do not throw the absorbent main section away, as it can be used to line the inside of another diaper when extra protection is needed (at night, on an airplane, when spending a long day at the mall…).

Cut open the side panels of the swim pants where they are fused to one another. Leave the fused “seam allowance" attached to one side, as this adds ¼” extra width to each side.

The red arrows show the fused seam allowance still attached
to provide a little more width.

Step Two:

Lay one side panel of the Pull-Up face up on the sewing machine bed. Velcro side up, overlap the front side panel of the swim pant by ¼”, matching top and bottom edges. Stitch down the overlapped edge with a plain or 2-step zigzag stitch set at a wide, long stitch.

Wahoo! Pinless sewing... We're aiming for speed and utility here.

I prefer a 2-step zigzag at 2.0 length and 6.0 width. The 2-step zigzag stitch will not tunnel. A 3-step zigzag is commonly found on most machines and will work also; it's just a tad slower to sew out.

This is a "2-step zigzag" stitch, which keeps the stitches from
pulling into a tunnel.

Repeat for second front side panel.

Step Three:

Overlap the longer side panel from the Pull-Up onto the swim pants back panel and zigzag into place. Make sure the Pull-Up is facing up and the Velcro tape is facing down.

If the shape of the extension is longer than the panel on the swim pant, it can simply be cut off after it is sewn.

Repeat for second back panel.

That’s it! In one quick afternoon you can whip up a whole package of large-sized disposable swim pants to take your child through the summer. Now your older child is ready to slip a swimsuit over their protective disposable swim pants and hit the beach or pool insecurity and style!

 Happy swimming!

If you found this tutorial helpful, please share it with a friend. Let's make life a little easier for all those terrific moms and kids who are adapting their lives creatively!

Sneak Peek at the Next G-tube Clothing Tutorial

You are supposed to get a full tutorial this evening, what with today being Tuesday [editorial note: it WAS Tuesday when I worked on this "quick" post. Ha-ha. Blogger does NOT play nice with photos and I need to go to bed before frustration drives me to do something drastic to the laptop. It's not the computer's fault. As a result, this won't get posted until Wednesday. My sanity is not worth the fight. Huge apologies!]. Instead, you get a teaser. Here’s a sneak peek at good things to come, the inseam g-tube access openings!

So many, many possibilities for these two handy techniques! Picture this in a frilly party dress, or a tiered sundress in fun bright prints…



Here's an opening on a gathered skirt...



...so you can get to the g-tube.


…Or this in a sophisticated princes-seam dress, or a little boy’s tailored coveralls…

At least you get to spy on the final samples. It’s the how-to pics that aren’t ready yet, so stay tuned.

Any of you who create online tutorials know just what goes on behind the scenes of a pictorial lesson. Whew! There are some amazing bloggers who post lovely online tutorials several times a week. They make it look so easy; that’s part of the magic. There is a LOT more to it than simply snapping pictures as you merrily sew away…hah!

Given our family schedule this past week, I was pretty pleased to have finished mock-ups to share. Next week you can have a step-by-step play on how to recreate these same openings to access your child’s g-tube.  

In the meantime, why not go shopping for a pattern and fabric and some fun trims? Look for a garment design with a seamline that falls several inches above the waist. Copyright issues mean I can’t post the pattern pictures here, but a quick click will take you to some possible choices:

McCall’s 6155 (girls flared or gathered top, easily lengthened to a dress)

McCall’s 6268  (flared toddler dress)

Butterick 4054 (toddler dress with gathered waist)

Oliver + S School Photo Dress and Tea Party Sundress, both vertical openings

New Look 6451 (princess seams, vertical openings)

New Look 6041 (toddler dress horizontal or vertical options)

Simplicity 2377 (girl's tiered sundress)

Simplicity 2264 (baby boy suit)

McCall’s 4236 (infant saque)

There are lots of GREAT vintage patterns that work well for adapting to g-tube access too!

Disclaimer: I haven’t used any of these particular patterns (my kids have long since outgrown these sizes), but they can give you an idea of styles that work well for these adaptations.

So many, many possibilities for these two handy techniques! Picture this in a frilly party dress, or a tiered sundress in fun bright prints…

You might also find some inspiration here:
Sewing Clothes for G-tube Access, Part One: DESIGN

Sewing Clothes for G-tube Access, Part Two: BLANK CANVAS

PART TWO:  G-TUBE OPENINGS ON A BLANK CANVAS

Lots of easy-to-sew patterns for children (and adults, too!) are made of flat pieces of fabric. One-piece sleepers, A-line dresses, and some overalls and jumpsuits are designed like this. These make a nice “blank canvas” for adding a g-tube access opening.

In addition, some designs sewn with soft, flat seams can be treated as a single piece of flat fabric.

Here are some examples:

To sew welted pocket flaps on this style of garment, we’ll be borrowing much of the same technique used in the tutorial for our g-tube jammies. You can either use our pocket flap pattern template or create your own. I’ll explain how! If you need inspiration for pocket designs, check out the imaginative, informative pocket tutorial series by LiEr at Ikat Bag.

In addition to the supplies needed to sew your garment of choice, you will need the following for each pocket flap:

--a 6 x 9” (or larger, depending on your personal design) piece of fabric, either self-fabric or a contrast color

--a 6 x 9” (or larger, to match changes you made in the fashion fabric size) piece of tricot iron-on interfacing

--3/4” Scotch tape

--a button

--optional trims:  ribbon, braid, lace, ruffles

A note on terms: The edges of this opening are called a welt, just so you know what I am referring to when I say “welt opening.” The fabric that binds the edges of the opening are the lips of the welt; the decorative flap covering the opening is the pocket flap.

Belly button would be about where the dotted red lines cross.
The red circle is about where the g-tuis is located.

1. Mark the position for your g-tube opening after you have cut out the pieces for your garment. If it helps with planning, know that a child’s natural belly button falls generally at or just below where the “waistline” marking on patterns meets the center front. Unfortunately, many pattern companies don't mark the waist on pattern, but the "lengthen/shorten" line is often located at the waist. Transfer the length and angle of the slit onto the garment piece with a wash-away marker or dry sliver of soap. DO NOT CUT OPEN.

2. Prepare the welt and pocket flap pieces. Iron the tricot interfacing to the back of the piece of coordinating fabric. The directions with the iron-on interfacing will give you specific heat and time settings for the brand you are using.

If you use our downloaded pattern, cut out the pieces; you should have two pocket flaps and one welt opening. Across the center of the wrong side of the welt opening fabric, stick one 4” piece of ¾” wide tape (Scotch tape is fine...I outlined mine just to help with the photography).

4" strip of 3/4" Scotch tape stuck on the interfaced side
of the welt fabric

Note: If you design your own pattern, draw the rectangle for the welt pattern the width of your mark PLUS 1.5”. It will be 3” high. For your own design, use a piece of ¾” wide Scotch tape the length of your marking, centered in the rectangle of the welt fabric.

3. Sew the welt opening. In most cases, you will want to apply the welted opening before sewing the garment. This allows you to work on a flat piece of fabric, which is easiest. If you will be applying the welt opening over a seam sewn flat, note that you want to join the garment pieces that make up this seam first and then complete the welted pocket flap opening.

Center the welt fabric, right side together with the right side of the garment fabric, along this line. Pin in place and stitch a box along the outer edge of the Scotch tape, using shorter stitches at the corners. Peel away the tape.

Carefully slit the fabric in the center of the box in a line along the center of the box you just stitched, stopping about ½” from each end. Cut in an angle from each end of the slit to the corners, coming right up to but not through the stitching (see the pattern for a cutting guide). Press flat.

The blue lines show where to slit the welt and garment fabric.

Turn the welt opening through the stitched box to the wrong side. Smooth the fabric so the seam allowances meet at the slit and the welt fabric folds around the seam allowances. Press flat.

This view shows the inside of the garment, where the
folds of the lips meet at the center.

Fold the garment piece back at one end so the triangle of fabric formed when you slit the stitched box is extending out.

Stitch carefully right over the stitching at the end of the box through the end of the welt, being careful to hold the main garment fabric out of the way of your stitching.

Press the welt flat. Stitch with a zigzag (I prefer the “double zigzag stitch” that takes a stitch halfway along each let) about 1/8” away from the outside of the welt.

For  a more tailored look, you might prefer to stitch right in
the well of the seam where the welt and garment fabrics meet.
Another option would be to topstitch 1/8" away from the seam edges,
creating a tidy box around the welt.

Trim the long ends on each side of the welt and round the corners.

4) Add the pocket flap. The pocket flap serves a number of functions:  to cover the opening, to keep the welt from gapping (br-r-r-r), and to provide a decorative accent. Whether using the pocket pattern or a design of your own, sew around all sides but the top with a ¼” seam allowance and clip the corners or curves. Now is the time to sew lace or a ruffle between the layers if you plan to insert it.

Sew pieces right sides together; clip corners.

Turn right sides out, press flat, and topstitch a scant ¼” from the edge. If you are applying braid, rickrack, lace, or other trims on top of the flap, sew them down now. Mark the buttonhole placement and stitch out the buttonhole. Pin the pocket flap right sides against the top edge of the top welt, pointing away from the welts. Stitch across what is now the bottom edge of the pocket flap with a ¼” seam allowance.

Anchor down the pocket flap seam allowance with a zigzag stitch. Fold the flap down, press thoroughly, and stitch down a generous 1/8” to hold the flap flat. Mark for the button placement and sew on a cute button.

Ta-da! A finished welted g-tube opening with a pocket flap.

An APPLIQUE FLAP is sewn in much the same way. You will follow steps 1 and 2 above:  mark the garment and prepare the welt fabric. Step 3, sewing the lips of the welt opening, is nearly the same, with the addition of a small button and button loop. The other materials you need remain the same, except you’ll be substituting an appliqué in place of a pocket flap.

You can purchase an appliqué or create your own. It simply needs to be large enough to cover the lips of the welt opening. Purchased appliqués can be used as is. If you make an appliqué, be sure to a combination of fabric, interfacing, and heavy leave-in stabilizer to give it enough body. Cut cleanly around the edges.

Also, you can use a fake patch pocket as an appliqué. Get some great design ideas at the pocket tutorial series on Ikat Bag. Since this pocket will be “freestanding,” being anchored on only two sides, the simplest way to create the pocket is to sew two same-shaped pieces right sides together. Interface if needed for body. Stitch around ALL sides, clip the corners, make a small slit in the lining piece. Turn right sides out through the slit and whipstitch the slit closed by hand. Add ornamental trimming and topstitching. Later when you attach the pocket, you can also stitch a line for a false “hem” at the top if you like.

3. Sew the welt opening with slight adjustments for the appliqué.  While the main steps for sewing the welt opening will follow the process outlined for pocket flaps, you will need to add a small button loop and button to hold the welt lips closed. For this, use a small ponytail band  (about 1” circle) and a small flat button.

This size ponytail band works well. But
CAUTION! Cut off that metal clamp!

Before you attach the welt piece to your fabric, pinch the ponytail band into a 1.25” loop and anchor at the center of the mark on your fabric with a piece of tape. [Note: if your elastic band has a metal closure, clip it off before trying to sew. No point in breaking a needle!!] The end that will loop around the button should face UP from the mark. When you sew on the welt piece, you will stitch right through the elastic band. Backstitch and trace your forward stitches several times over the area where the band extends upwards to be sure is it caught.

The loop is taped in place for sewing. On this sample,
the ends could have been cut shorter.

Continue sewing the welt opening as explained in the previous section.

When you slit the welt open, you can cut through the ponytail band but be sure to leave about ¼” tails.

After the welt is complete, add a small button to the lower lip.

Completed welt is ready for the applique over the top.

4. Apply an appliqué in place of the pocket flap. The appliqué will center over the welt opening to cover it. Secure the appliqué by stitching along the edge of its upper half. Follow the shaping of the edge. For a false pocket, stitch across the top of the pocket an inch or so below the edge to create a false “hem.” Be sure to backstitch at both ends of your stitching!

Pins mark the backstitching at either end of the line of stitching
that holds the applique in place.

The appliqué lifts at the lower outer corner. To secure the flap when not in use, sew Velcro under the corner of the appliqué. You can stitch the hook side by machine to the garment. Use invisible hand stitches to attach the loop Velcro inside the appliqué.

Here's a peek under the applique. A square of Velcro
sewn to the point of the heart and the garment fabric
will hold it flat when not in use.

I hope you are inspired to sew up some welted g-tube access openings on clothes for your little cutie! Let me know how it goes...


Other posts you might find helpful:

G-tube jammies tutorial

Sewing Clothes for G-tube Access, Part One: DESIGN